I'm planning a trip to Dubai and Cairo for this January, any insights appreciated. Also plan a few Greek stops, either before or after.

Cairo is a very big, busy city. Do the pyramids, the museum, the churches, the mosques and eat all the food!! If you can extend your time in Egypt there’s so much to see along the Nile

I agree! I would sacrifice some time to Cairo to go to Luxor. Karnak was a favorite. And quite amazing to see King Tut and the other tombs.

I agree Luxor has a lot to see, you can hire private tour guides that will take u to the sites, and they will take good care of you

Cairo also offers others cool stuff, besides all the must see museums, church, mosques…. A Felluca ride down the Nile, can be inexpensive, garbage city is very unique, and there is a church built into the mountain, and there is a night market you can check out too

We stayed near the Egyptian Museum but if we went back, we would stay on Zamalek Island. Also consider staying in a hotel in Giza to see the pyramids from your room. We also took trains and private cars to visit Luxor, Aswan, Marsa Alam and also Siwa Oasis - which was the highlight of our trip.

Worth going to Luxor - so many famous sites and you can hot air balloon over the Valley of the Kings at dawn for only $60 US

After Cairo I went to Hurghada on the Red Sea for some scuba diving. Super clean water. Cheap flight between the 2 cities as well.

Go to the Red Sea for water sports and a beach break.

Definitely try to see more of Egypt than just Cairo. So much to see and do in and around Luxor including an incredible morning hot air balloon. Abu Simbel is a must. Aswan and cruise the Nile on a felucca. Red Sea is amazing and Dahab or Hurghada are good places to explore underwater. After Dahab we hiked Mt Sinai and camped the night which was incredible. Watching the sunrise was something I will never forget.
Greek islands are a whole trip in themselves. I would bypass and go to Jordan before or after Egypt. Amman is a great city to explore. Head to the Dead Sea and of course, Petra is a must and unforgettable. Camp in the Wadi Rum and explore the desert by jeep.
When in Dubai, take a trip to Abu Dhabi for the day. In Dubai we did a great food tour with Frying Pan tours, which was amazing. Spend time exploring the old part of Dubai.

I spent 4 weekends in Dahab to get my diving certificate!

In Dubai right now visiting family. Have been 4 times and have been here now for 6 weeks. Expo 2020 is on so that is worth a visit. And if you are over 60 then you get a yearly pass for free. The fountain at the Burj Khalifa is nice to see 6 pm onward.The metro is top notch (purchase a gold pass) old souk and Al Fahida and Al Seef gives a look into old Dubai. Take an Abra across the creek to the gold and spice souk. And if you feel adventurous head out to Hatta for some hiking. The Marina and JBR beach are nice as well as Jumeriah and Kite Beach. And for Saturday afternoon Roast Beef lunch head out to the Atlantis where Gordon Ramsey’s Bread Street Kitchen serves the best Roast Beef ever ( not even expensive) went on a GULET EXPERIENCE boat trip which was awesome. Have fun

You will love Dubai. It is like NYC on steroids! Bring lots of money.

Dubai Tips I wrote for someone else, but hopefully will be useful for your reference:
There is a metro you can take from the airport that is clean and safe and easy to use, and can take you up and down the main road in Dubai to go to malls, etc. It is very cheap. However, taxis/ubers are plentiful and not expensive and it's how everyone gets around. It is not a walkable city in the least. Not just because of heat/dust but the roads are not setup for it and you will quickly find yourself on the wrong side of a highway divider or the backside of a building. Figure on taking taxi/uber most places.
Covid Test: I think it is even cheaper than the last time I was there (in August) when I paid 150 AED. Your hotel can tell you a place close by to get it. I went to the Dr. Sulaiman Al Habib Hospital and it didn't take very long to get the test done and results came back within 12 hours.
Dubai Mall is the newer mall that has the giant aquarium (and a million other things) in it. You can even get the famous NYC Magnolia Bakery cupcakes from their location there. This is the mall at the base of the Burj Khalifa. Lots of good restaurants around there with patios where you can watch the impressive fountain show in the evening. You will find a lot to do around here.
Burj Khalifa - you can get tickets on the spot or book ahead of time. There are two levels of observation deck. It's the tallest structure in the history of the world, which is pretty cool. Recommend booking ahead of time which avoids some lines (you will still queue up at your booked time). I went up during the day but some people say evening time is the best. It was surreal and really beats Taipei 101 – which I’ve also been atop – in the feeling of being so high up it’s almost unbelievable you’re in a building.
Go out into the desert on a tour/excursion and do off-roading, ride camels, middle-eastern style cookout, and smoke hookah under the stars. Wife and I did it on our first trip and we really enjoyed it. I remember it being quite cheap for what all was included. Can’t remember the name of the tour company we used but easy to read reviews and find a good one.
Go to the old part of Dubai. Check out the Dubai museum - the entrance fee is literally 3 dirham (less than $1 USD). It has air conditioning and is an interesting look into the history of the area. Take a little abra (boat) across the Dubai Creek and go to the older part of the city. Check out the souks, which are the markets where they sell stuff.
Mall of the Emirates is the older mall that's like 15-20 minutes down Sheikh Zayed road from 'downtown'. This is the mall that has the indoor skiing. I remember doing Ski Dubai back in 2010 and thinking they had more snow at a mall in the middle of the desert than we did on the north shore mountains in Vancouver for the Olympics (they had to truck in snow from WA for some events). The skiing is a bit of a novelty but it’s actually fun and I don’t remember it being too expensive. I also recall there being a great Lebanese restaurant in this mall, with the entrance hidden in the back of a department store.
There's a newish area called City Walk which has tons of shopping, places to eat, etc.
Alserkal Avenue – check out for art galleries, coffee shops, etc.
Souk Madinat / Jumeirah beach is very cool to just walk around and check out. Plus has a lot of places to eat and great views of the Burj Al Arab (sail shaped hotel).
La Perle - I haven't been. But this is a show put on by the same guy who did several Cirque du Soleil shows. And he did House of Dancing Water (Macau), which is insane.
Zuma is a must if you want a cool cocktail bar / lounge. Great sushi / Asian fusion food for lunch or dinner there as well. Turns into a party bar later at night. It is expensive.
The Restaurant at the Address Boulevard is a cool place to chill indoors or outdoors and serves food until late if you want a good spot after the bars.
Galaxy Bar – Small bar attached to Avli (Greek restaurant). Great cocktails and cool vibe. Although you are really reminded that it’s legal to smoke cigarettes indoors in Dubai.
BB Social Dining – Multi level restaurant and bar. Great food and awesome drinks. If you are up at the bar and Aziz is working, tell him I say hi.
The Cave Dubai - wine bar in the Conrad hotel. Very cool atmosphere. Extensive wine list. Wine by the glass is exorbitantly expensive but a good place to split a few bottles if you are with clients or otherwise not paying out of pocket.
Ce La Vi – great views and some food/drinks
Tulum – excellent Mexican restaurant
The Grey – breakfast / coffee shop
Toro Toro – Latin American / great steak
Churchill Club – cocktail bar
Al Ustad Special Kebab (formerly Special Ostadi) – This the OG and still the best Persian kebab restaurant in Dubai. Very not fancy or expensive, but delicious and well worth the visit.
Bull and Bear – steakhouse at the Waldorf DIFC
LPM – perennial Dubai favorite French restaurant DIFC
Masti – great food and cocktails. Top recommendation for sure.
Coya - great Peruvian restaurant at the Four Seasons Jumeirah.
level 43 Sky Lounge on Sheikh Zayed is probably a bit more dated now but definitely great views and gets you pretty high up.
Zero Gravity - 150 dirhams gets you poolside and is a chill place to hang out into the night.
Barasti - great beach bar if the weather is good.
Arabian Tea House – great food right by the Dubai creek / souks / old part of Dubai
Café Belge at the Ritz - excellent
Treehouse - great views of the Burj.
Buddha Bar – popular and happening bar
High tea at Al Bayt – must book ahead of time
Grapeskin at City Walk – a favorite

Paul wow, that's a tour of a write up, thanks. I've wanted to visit for some time, and this decision was made just a few days ago. I've been to a few large metropoli
, but seems this one has a lot in a smaller package

Yes, it’s more like Las Vegas than someplace like Chicago, Toronto, NYC, etc.

Paul thank you so much for this great info. We are headed back to Dubai on 22 Nov. always nice to see recommendations for eats & drinks. Great post.